Shopify Free Trial: 3 Days Free & Best Alternative (Feb. 2024)

Choosing the best platform to host your online store may be overwhelming, but using a Shopify free trial can help ease some of your anxieties when building your web presence. Free trials allow digital entrepreneurs to test a platform before committing to an expensive monthly plan. The platform you choose will significantly impact your online business because it’s directly tied to your website’s uptime, security, and functionality, so it’s essential to do your research.

When you sign up for a Shopify trial, you can get a feel for the overall features and user experience without putting down your credit card information. Before you sign up, you’ll need to know what tools, budget, and level of support you want for your Shopify website. Fear not: Consider this your ultimate guide for getting started with a free Shopify trial for your eCommerce store.

The best deal Shopify offers is a three-day free trial, in which customers get a sneak peek of the company’s services, including a fully hosted website, website builder, and dozens of eCommerce, analytics, and email marketing tools. To make the most of your free trial period, Shopify recommends you:

• Fill out your online store with some products and descriptions
• Set up your Shopify Payments and confirm Shopify is compatible with your third-party payment provider
• Explore available settings and try setting up product collections
• Browse the Shopify Theme Store and the Shopify App Store

In addition to the above tools and features, the platform allows entrepreneurs to control and manage their website and online store through an intuitive analytics dashboard, which displays key performance metrics, such as the number of sales attributed to marketing campaigns through Facebook ads and Google ads.

Below, we’ll dive into more specifics of this Shopify offer so you know what to expect. If you’re already convinced, you can use the link below to start immediately.

The Shopify platform offers a range of plans to suit different levels of support and features, but the free trial period will give entrepreneurs a good idea of what they can expect with a basic plan. Your trial period begins when you sign up, not when you start working on your store, so it’s crucial that you only start your free trial when you’re ready.

By default, your online store will have a password-protected checkout, so if you’d like customers to make purchases during your trial, be sure to remove the password protection settings by purchasing a monthly or yearly plan. If you decide to buy a paid plan before the free trial period ends, you won’t be charged until the three days are up, and your online store progress will be saved. To get started, visit the link in the table above, enter your email address, and click “Start Free Trial.”

Fully Hosted Website for Your Online Store

Shopify is a fully hosted platform, meaning your eCommerce site won’t require a third-party web hosting provider. The company runs its plans on its in-house servers and is the first eCommerce platform to offer hosting with a Content Delivery Network (or CDN for short). Shopify’s CDN allows for faster page speeds because it uses a global network of servers to send information to customers from the closest available datacenter.

The platform’s servers feature unlimited bandwidth, Level 1 PCI compliance, and global distribution for lightning-fast page loads. Plus, they make it easy to get started. Whether you have an existing website with an established domain name or you’re starting from scratch, the company offers a hassle-free setup. Users can purchase a new domain name or use a free domain with a .myshopify.com extension to match their store name.

Customizable Website Builder

If you’re new to the world of eCommerce, Shopify has a fully customizable website builder to help you create an online storefront in hours instead of weeks. This no-code site builder allows you to build a unique website to sell your products, even if you’re just starting with a store name. You can choose from thousands of themes in the Shopify theme store and integrate apps from the Shopify app store for customization and functionality.

The website builder is arguably one of the best parts of your Shopify account because it’s the face of your online brand. All its themes are mobile responsive, meaning your customers will get a consistent experience across mobile and desktop devices. Plus, the Shopify payment platform is built into your website, which you can activate with just one click.

Dozens of eCommerce and Marketing Analytics Tools

Every Shopify plan comes with a set of basic features, including fraud analysis, abandoned cart recovery, financial reports, and simple analytics. As you upgrade to higher plans, the level of analytics and reporting becomes more advanced. The basic plan gives you access to data on your conversion rate, average order value, and revenue trends.

You can unlock even more reporting and analytics for a higher monthly price. Shopify, Advanced Shopify, and Shopify Plus offer robust reporting on orders, sales, profits, and customers. Plus, if you upgrade to a higher plan, your reports will date back to when you started using Shopify.

Once your free trial begins, you have three days to test the features and functionality of the Shopify platform to see if it’s the right fit for you. Even after the trial period ends, the savings continue. Shopify offers three months of hosting on the basic Shopify plan for just $1.00 per month. This offer is a huge draw for small businesses that are just getting started and are conscious of their spending.

Start Your Shopify Free Trial >>

If you’re not sold on signing up for a Shopify account, you’ll be glad to know you have another option. The Wix eCommerce platform is a comparable choice that offers a range of eCommerce functionality for an affordable monthly price. You can start with the Wix eCommerce platform by migrating your current online store or building a site with the platform’s proprietary website builder.

The platform gives digital entrepreneurs the choice of three plans, each offering a different price point and feature set. All plan levels come with secure online payments, a custom domain, unlimited products, and 24/7 customer care. Wix also displays an analytics overview, which shows data on traffic, sales, and customer behavior.

Possibly one of the shining features of the Wix eCommerce platform is its niche-specific features that cater to industries such as hospitality, fitness, art, and event management. The provider offers a 14-day free trial to try it in a no-risk setting. Compare what both Wix and Shopify offer to decide which platform is best for your online business.

Start Your Wix Free Trial >>

Shopify is the world’s number one eCommerce platform and hosts almost 30% of all online storefronts. The global market is increasingly online, so brands must make the most of their online presence to keep up in the marketplace. Platforms such as Shopify give small businesses and retail giants all the tools they need to build and host an online store, manage and track orders, and view business-critical reports.

Retailers of all kinds love Shopify for the many benefits it brings and because it’s easy to use. Instead of hiring a development team to build a site from scratch, business owners can accomplish the same thing in a fraction of the time. The company offers business owners access to the Shopify development store, which allows you to test any themes or apps. You can also use the development store to set up the platform for a customer.

Shopify’s tried-and-true feature set is proven to help increase conversions and revenue. Users can visit the Shopify App store to add functionality to their online store and take advantage of SEO and email marketing tools.

The eCommerce industry has seen various Shopify promotions over the past few years, including a 14- and a 90-day free trial during the Covid-19 pandemic. The only current trial for a Shopify store, however, is the 3-day trial mentioned above. Shopify’s free trial should give you enough time to decide whether the provider will suit your needs.

The platform continually updates its offers, so keep an eye out for future Shopify promotions. While you aren’t likely to find an unlimited trial from this platform, you may score a special discount if you keep your eyes peeled. Or if you’d like to explore all of your options, you can contact Shopify support for help.

Shopify pricing varies based on the plan you select and the additional features you’d like to add. You have various levels to choose from, starting with a basic Shopify Starter plan and extending to an advanced Shopify plan. For high-volume businesses, the platform also offers Shopify Plus — an ideal plan for mega merchants who want an all-in-one solution. Your package can cost as little as $1 and as much as $2,000 each month, depending on the level and add-ons you choose.

Though Shopify doesn’t offer an unlimited free trial, having a few days to play around with the platform and features is plenty of time to get a feel for the user experience. If you use your free trial wisely, you can become a Shopify expert in no time.